Dr. Vidya Amarapala
CEOHe received his primary, secondary, and high school education in Sri Lanka, followed by undergraduate studies in Aeronautical Engineering in India. He subsequently completed an MBA in International Business Management and later earned a Ph.D. in Wind Energy from the University of Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.
As Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), Sri Lanka's largest state-owned utility with an annual turnover exceeding USD 1 billion, he led major national energy reforms. Under his leadership, the country achieved near-total electrification, significantly increased the share of renewable energy on the national grid, and introduced rooftop solar systems with net metering. He also played a pivotal role in restoring the financial viability of the CEB within a short period through strategic reforms and operational improvements. He is a Council Member of the World Renewable Energy Congress, contributing to global dialogue and collaboration on advancing sustainable energy solutions.
Prof Ali Sayigh
ConsultantGraduated from London University and Imperial College with BSc, WAP, DIC and PhD in 1966, he is a fellow of the Institute of Energy, and a fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chartered engineer, Chairman of Iraq Energy Institute, Prof Sayigh was attached to the staff of the University of Reading and the University of Hertfordshire from 1966 to 2004. He started working in Solar Energy from 1969. He was a consultant to many national and international organisations, among them are the British Council, ISESCO, UNESCO, UNDP, ESCWA, UNIDO and UN.
He runs conferences in 40 different countries, has published more than 600 papers and is associated with 40 books. He supervised more than 80 M Sc. and 35 PhD students.
Prof Salam Darwish BSc, MSc, CITM, PhD, PGCE, DTQM, DEPMP, DMM, DBM
ConsultantHe is the head of the engineering department at Manchester Trinity College (UK). He holds an MSc, membership in aeronautical engineering, CIT (UK) and a PhD in wind turbine aerodynamics from the University of Reading (UK). He is also a visiting professor at Loughborough University, Warrington Collegiate, and other UK Academic Institutions. He is an international program consultant at the University of Glyndwr and Wolverhampton University. He has published many articles related to renewable energy.
Professor Peter Farrell MBE, MSc, CEng, PhD, FCABE
ConsultantProfessor Farrell has sixteen years of industry experience, and thirty plus years in higher education. In his mid-20s, he became Chartered and qualified as a member of both the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and then, in his late 30s, he was elected Fellow of both. He has a Masters in Management Sciences and PhD in Building Engineering, both from the University of Manchester. In 2016, qualified as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE); in 2018, he was elected as a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) and then a Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the Engineering Council.
Professor Farrell was a programme leader at the University of Bolton for over thirty years, including under and post-graduate levels, and in both traditional and apprenticeship modes. He has successfully supervised perhaps over 100 MSc or MRes dissertations, and many more undergraduate research projects. He has supervised twenty PhDs students to completion and is currently supporting six PhD researchers.
Jay Perera MA (marketing) MCAM MCIM
International Strategic ConsultantA British-qualified Marketing Professional with over four decades of hands-on senior management experience across global markets. Jay has held senior executive roles in the UK, the USA, and Germany, with strategic oversight of operations in the Far East, the Middle East, and Africa. Over the last five years, he has been dedicated to addressing global alternative energy challenges, with a particular emphasis on the developing world. His work has centred on sustainable, cost effective energy solutions to meet the needs of both households and industrial sectors in energy-scarce regions.